In 1851, the newly built Crystal Palace in London hosted the first Great Exhibition, a worldwide gathering that featured the latest technological innovations of the Industrial Revolution. It is fitting then that the replica Crystal Palace at New York’s Javits Center will be the site of APA’s own technological exhibition—the Mental Health Innovation Zone (MHIZ).
At the MHIZ, which debuted at last year’s Annual Meeting in San Diego, attendees can learn about the latest advances in mental health technology, partake in product demonstrations at one of many sponsored booths, and network with business and innovation leaders.
Over the course of four days (May 5 to 8), the MHIZ will feature a host of engaging lectures, panel discussions, and interactive brainstorming sessions. These include the following:
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A roundtable with telepsychiatry vendors in which participants can try out some of the available platforms and get their questions answered. This roundtable is a companion to the Annual Meeting session titled “Telepsychiatry and Mental Health Technologies.”
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A workshop on how entrepreneurs can develop partnerships with existing start-up companies or health care systems.
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A panel discussion on how psychiatry can adapt the Uber model and increase the availability of mental health services to clinics that need it.
Other topics include virtual/augmented reality, mobile applications, wearable devices, and artificial intelligence. Nina Taylor, M.A., APA’s deputy director of the Division of Education, told Psychiatric News that several of the MHIZ sessions will discuss technologies or models of care that are aimed at improving physician wellness and burnout, one of the major initiatives set forth by APA President Anita Everett, M.D.
The centerpiece of the MHIZ will be held Sunday, May 6—the APA Innovation Lab. As in the past, seven aspiring entrepreneurs will pitch their creative ventures for improving mental health care to a panel of business and health care experts as well as the audience. After receiving feedback, the finalists will work with innovation leaders and other volunteers to strengthen their proposals. The finalists will then offer up their revised pitches in a bid to win one of several prizes, including the Audience Choice Award and the Grand Prize for best idea as determined by the judges.
People interested in innovation need not wait until May, however, for the Innovation Zone is open for business now. As part of an effort to build a year-round community for innovators, APA has recently launched a microsite dedicated to the MHIZ. This site is continually updated and features blog posts, information on how to be a MHIZ sponsor, and highlights of activities from the 2017 Innovation Zone. ■
The Innovation Zone will be open from Saturday, May 5, to Tuesday, May 8. The Innovation Lab will take place on Sunday, May 6, from noon to 5 p.m. More information on the Innovation Zone, including the schedule for events, can be accessed
here.
